Perfume on the nose; fruity and floral with hibiscus right up front. Pours deep red with an elegantly collapsing head. Contrails on the glass. Tastes like agua de jamaica–carbonated agua de jamaica. Sweet. No bitterness. Awesome that way. Creamy mouthfeel. Had it with chili and cornbread Would be perfect with mole or huevos rancheros.
A few months ago, my buddy Lyell recommended this California IPA from Ballast Point. It’s taken me this long to track one down, but I stumbled upon a cache of it at Petaluma Market tonight. Was Sculpin worth the wait, or will I get stung by this wriggly muddler? Continue reading
Lagunitas Olde GnarlyWine pours stoplight amber with a notable head that graffities alien alphabets upon the glass. Perfume on the nose: floral hops, warm alcohol, toasted malt, and brown sugar. Taste lives up to the promise of the scent. Sweet. Tangy, with notes of toasted cereal and molasses. Medium bodied. Bitter, piney toffee finish. Always a pleasure, but Two Aught 11 is particularly nice.
Brewed with “Muscat, Gewurztraminer, and Sauvignon Blanc grapes and chamomile”? Could be interesting. Continue reading
Get ready to wet yer wolf whistle; this one’s a pinup!
Lagunitas Lucky 13 pours copper, with a big, creamy head that marks the glass with cumulonimbus clouds. Bright and bold up front, piney hops and suggestions of citrus. Medium-bodied, with effervescent carbonation. Abrasive against palate, bourbon/molasses as it glides down the throat. Tart, slightly sour finish. A personal favorite.
Tonight’s adult beverage is from Eugene, Oregon, Ninkasi Brewing Company’s Believer Double Red Ale. (With the new washing machine in the background. Dryer to come.)
Believer pours ruby-red with a thick, creamy head which evaporates slowly and leaves cathedral-arch lacing on the edges of the glass. Toasty malt aroma. Lots of malt up front. Some hoppy bitterness, but sweet. Robust mouthfeel with minimal carbonation. Long-lingering bitter aftertaste, but very drinkable. Not quite as impressed with this one as I was with Ninkasi’s Tricerihops, but a very enjoyable adult beverage overall.
Rubicon Rosebud has hints of rose and molasses up front. Nice, creamy head. Heavy on the tongue; creamy and fruity, but with bright carbonation. Lacing like esoteric calligraphy. Sweet and malty, but only mildly hoppy. Cherries?
After a day of behaving at a dry-but-for-Fresca company picnic, this goat-legged fellow called to me from the BevMo shelf: “Thirsty, friend?” Continue reading
The Lost Abbey’s Devotion Ale has a pale white head with elegant lacing. Hint of peach up front. Tangy and spicy, dances on the tip of the tongue. Malt and cloves and yeast. Clean finish, lightly earthy. Very drinkable.
Caveat: I’m not typically a lager kind of guy, but I liked the look of this bottle.
Abita Save Our Shore has a head like a big, white, fluffy cloud. It’s bitter and grassy up front, with a decent overall mouthfeel including lots of carbonation. But it doesn’t quite hit the anticipated level of hoppy spiciness and the biscuity, malty finish is spoiled by a damnable lager soapiness at the very end. Supports a fair cause–seventy-five cents from every bottle goes to the SOS Charity Fund–but not a likely repeat for me.
